This topic deals with the final status of borders. After the British Mandate, the first set of borders were the UN partition borders. Following the first Arab-Israeli war (1948-1949), Israel extended its borders and established the next set of borders along the temporary armistice line, also known as the Green Line; these constitute what are now known as the pre-1967 borders.
In June 1967, another Arab-Israeli war occurred. Following closure of the straights of Tiran and a buildup of Egyptian troops in the Sinai with expulsion of the international force there, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike. From the Arab perspective, Israel was intentionally raising tensions along the Syrian border, so Egypt felt obligated to act on its defense pact with Syria and show strength by deploying troops and closing the Straits. Israelis refer to it as the Six-Day War, while Palestinians call it an-Naksah (the setback). This war ended with Israel in full military control of the West Bank and Gaza (as well as the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula). Peace talks and most peace initiatives today focus on a two-state solution using the pre-1967 borders as a basis for establishing an independent Palestinian state side by side with the State of Israel. There are also three different one-state options. 1) A state in which Israel annexes the West Bank extending the borders of Israel to the Jordan River. 2) A democratic, secular (in the sense of separation of church and state) state, sometimes called a bi-national option, in which all citizens live together with full rights. 3) A single state of Palestine with Palestinian sovereignty over the West Bank, Gaza, and all the area that is currently Israel.
For those who support a two-state solution, the discussion focused on the 1967 borders and land swaps. Discussions with those that preferred a one-state solution in which Israel annexes the West Bank (or parts of it) focused on what kind of society they envisioned: will the Palestinians currently living in the West Bank have full citizenship? voting rights? Etc.? Discussions with those that preferred a democratic and secular one-state and those that favored a one-state of Palestine focused on the loss of Israel as a Jewish state or the loss of Israel, respectively.
Below are the participants’ approximate location on the issue based on their responses. When their responses did not fit exactly under one category, they were placed in between the two categories at a place which most closely resembled their stances. Occasionally, their placement represents what they think should happen rather than what they want. Click the name to see what they had to say.
